Do-it-yourself threshold repair

In detail: do-it-yourself threshold repair from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

Every second car with a non-galvanized body needs to be corroded. A cheap way to repair rotten thresholds on a car with your own hands is carried out taking into account their type. They are welded and removable.

If the corrosion is minor, you can repair it yourself. In case of serious damage, experts advise contacting a car service for help.

Removable sills are easy to dismantle and replace. They are convenient and practical to use. Their installation is carried out outside or on the side of the side members. Removable thresholds provide effective stone protection for the underside of the machine.

To repair removable elements, use metal or plastic. Self-restoration is performed according to the following algorithm:

Screwing in fasteners.
Dismantling the threshold.
Removal of traces of corrosion.
Putty, primer application.
Painting.

After repair work, the parts are mounted to the bottom. If the structure has significant damage, it is completely replaced with a new analogue.

Welded side skirts are welded to the vehicle body. They are not removed. When corrosion occurs, restoration and repair of their surface is required. Some car manufacturers use these parts as an additional body stiffener.

When corrosion appears on them you will need the following materials:

epoxy adhesive;
Sander;
solvent;
fiberglass;
aluminum powder;
putty;
brush.

At the first stage remove rust spots... This will require a grinder with a disc. The work is done carefully so that the metal remains intact. Experts recommend stripping until shiny metal appears. A solvent is used to degrease the surface. It is applied to the threshold, after wearing gloves.

A mixture is prepared from epoxy glue and hardener. To prevent it from hardening, aluminum powder is added to it. The composition is evenly distributed over the part. Pieces are cut out of fiberglass, which are applied to the threshold, pressing against the glue.

Video (click to play).

After firm fixation of the fiberglass, excess glue is removed. It will take 12 hours for the epoxy to cure. After the specified period, the machine can be used.

If roughness appears on the threshold, they are removed with sandpaper. Then the following work is carried out:

This threshold restoration technique is considered the most gentle. But it can be used if the part is slightly damaged. With extensive and through damage, welding is carried out.

Auto mechanics recommend repairing thresholds with holes and corrosion using fiberglass. Its advantages include high performance properties. She acquires them after applying fiberglass to the putty. The material can be purchased at car dealerships. In addition, you will need fiberglass putty, solvent and sandpaper.

In order for the repaired body elements to last a long time, it is recommended to thoroughly clean their surface... Then a part is cut out of the fiberglass, the size of which corresponds to the hole in the threshold. Putty is applied to the material. The glass fabric is glued to the oil-free threshold. After 10 minutes, a thin layer of ordinary putty is applied.

If the composition is dry, the surface is leveled with a sandpaper. A primer and paint are applied on top. Removable and welded sills corrode more often and faster during vehicle operation. If you do not leave the process in a timely manner, the body will begin to rust. In this case, a major overhaul will be required.

Repair of car thresholds today is rightfully included in the list of works that every car owner should be able to perform. Knowing how to repair these car parts with his own hands, the driver has the opportunity to save a decent amount of money. Let's find out about the principles of repair and what tools are needed for this.

Thresholds are an integral part of the body of any modern car. Due to their location in the car, these elements are among the first to succumb to moisture and substances that are sprayed on the road surface. In addition, the thresholds are severely damaged from stones flying out from under the front wheels of the car. This happens especially often when the driver made a mistake with the choice of the type of mud flaps for the car.

Fortunately, it is not so difficult to repair body parts with your own hands. The main thing is to prepare tools and understand the principle of repairing these auto elements. How the repair of automobile thresholds will be carried out directly depends on the type of parts. All elements lend themselves to classification based on the method of attaching them to the body and their purpose. According to these features, the parts are divided into removable, non-removable and power thresholds.. The first type includes parts that are attached to the car body using self-tapping screws or special bolts.

They play the role of a step for a comfortable fit in the car, and also perform a protective function - they prevent stones from falling on the doors. The thresholds of the second type are attached to the machine by welding. Their presence makes the car body more rigid. Power elements are an integral part of SUVs with a frame body. They can be attached to the machine either by welding or by large special bolts. The cross-section of such parts is several times larger than in the thresholds on cars with monocoque bodies.

After you have determined what type of parts are on your car, you can start repairing them yourself. First of all, we will consider the restoration of removable thresholds, since it is the details of this type that are considered the most popular on the market.

Detachable parts are susceptible to dirt and damage as a result of human exposure. Since these thresholds are mainly used for embarking and disembarking passengers, they are located almost on the same level with the floor of the passenger compartment. In fact, such details can be considered an additional element of the interior. Due to the location of the parts, stones and moisture rarely get on them. Another thing is removable sills designed for installation outside the body.

They bulge a little, making the car wider, and are installed much lower than the passenger compartment. In this regard, they can be damaged not only by humans, but also by large cobblestones, rust, or as a result of careless parking. Removable thresholds are easy to do-it-yourself restoration. Repairs are usually done with a conventional anvil, workbench and mallet. Other tools are used to repair steel parts as needed. Although the thresholds are made of metal, they must be handled with extreme caution. If you do the job correctly and accurately, you will be able to avoid the need to re-paint the sills of the car.

The most common problem with both internal and external removable elements is the appearance of dents. To eliminate them, you will have to apply alignment. For this purpose, the part is mounted on a workbench and then leveled with a hammer. Depending on the degree of damage, the part may require re-painting. Another common problem is rust formation. It is characteristic of thresholds installed on the outside of the car, however, in regions with frequent precipitation, internal thresholds can also rust.

If the corrosion has not managed to damage too much of the part, then the affected area can be cut off, and a metal patch can be welded on instead.If rust has damaged most of it, then, in view of saving time and effort, it is best to completely replace the part with a new element.

The most common damage to these elements is considered to be corrosion and dents due to prolonged use in poor conditions. Corrosion occurs on thresholds as a result of the regular ingress of water, various saline solutions and chemicals. Corrosion develops especially quickly due to the poor quality of the factory painting of parts. This is especially true for domestic cars.In addition to moisture, thresholds are also negatively affected by cobblestones. When flying out from under the wheels, they form noticeable dents. Moreover, even the driver himself can damage this part of the body of his car by improperly installing the jack in the process of changing wheels. Whatever the damage to non-removable thresholds, before proceeding with their restoration with your own hands, it is worth assessing the degree of damage to the parts. The list of tools required for repair directly depends on the latter. Image - Do-it-yourself threshold repair

To eliminate breakdowns of small and medium severity, you may need:

Workbench;
welding machine or spotter;
manual hood;
repair support;
anvils;
Bulgarian;
locksmith tools.

Having all these tools, you can start repairing. In order to fix dents or remove skewed thresholds, you can use a manual hood and spotter. These tools make it possible not to disconnect the body element, but to make repairs on site. To do this, special loops are attached to the sill body, for which the spotter pulls out the body part, returning it to its previous shape.

If you cannot get rid of dents using these methods, then the threshold needs to be repaired by welding. To do this, a rectangular hole must be cut in the side of the part. An anvil must be inserted into it, after which the dents are straightened by tapping on the surface of the thresholds with a straightening hammer. If the damage to the thresholds is much more serious, then cuts must be made in several places of the parts for repair. After repair, the incised parts are closed with patches.

It should be noted that the restoration of thresholds without the need for welding is considered very popular today. In this case, the driver will repair the irregularities on the surface of the part with epoxy glue or fiberglass.

Depending on the degree of damage, the restoration of parts on powerful SUVs can be done either by hand or in a workshop. Since in most cases damage occurs from impacts against large stones, the thresholds need to be repaired exclusively by welding. To do this, the part is dismantled from the machine, and the standard holes for fasteners are closed with metal bushings. After that, you need to make new holes and proceed directly to repairing the damaged part.Welding the upper part of the old threshold with a new metal lining is considered the most effective. First, the part is leveled and cleaned from the remnants of the old lining. The top of the sill needs to be perfectly clean, so be prepared for a lot of time. After that, a new panel is welded to the standard pad. The finished part must be cleaned of dust and painted.

mechanical damage resulting from contact with other vehicles or as a result of impacts of stones and gravel particles;

corrosive effect on the material, leading to the formation of rusty cracks and cavities, the protective treatment of which does not bring tangible results.

The first group of malfunctions is associated with the peculiarities of domestic roads and leads to the loss of the vehicle's strength characteristics, and, as a consequence, the impossibility of operating in the previous modes. With a large number of them and damage to the spar, it becomes completely unsafe to drive a car.

Corrosion processes also pose a serious threat to the supporting structure, which increases over time. Despite the many ways to combat corrosion, they, nevertheless, do not allow you to stop the process of destruction, which ultimately leads to the need to replace rotted elements.

With non-removable body parts, the only way out of this situation is the use of welding thresholds by any known method.

The technologies for restoring violations in the structure of these parts are different both in the techniques used in this case and in the cost of the materials used in welding.

The choice of the method of restoring the thresholds and the bottom depends on the nature of the damage received and can be reduced to the following options:

classic welding of non-removable body parts;
straightening of small dents on removable and non-removable elements, for which the former must be dismantled from the car;
replacement for new products (in case of severe damage or rust damage);
do-it-yourself threshold repair without welding using non-standard restoration techniques.

Non-standard applications include fiberglass with epoxy adhesive, as well as a method that allows the thresholds to be pulled out by means of special mechanisms. The latter method allows you to completely restore the previous form of products of any car (including the well-known brand VAZ).

One of the varieties of pulling the thresholds involves the use of special vacuum inverters, with the help of which any deformation (dent, for example) is straightened out due to the pressure difference inside and outside the structure.

Repairing the bottom without the help of welding can consist in regular inspection of the straightening, cleaning and painting.

The restoration of the thresholds of a non-removable type and the bottom can be started only after placing the car on a repair ramp or on a pit with a size sufficient for welding. The bottom is inspected by tapping with a hammer.In case of severe rust damage, it is necessary to clean the surface around the cut-in place using sandpaper or a grinding tool.Body repair by means of welding, including bottom welding, is reduced to installing a small patch of metal of the same structure and thickness on the damaged place. Image - Do-it-yourself threshold repair

But first, you should prepare the problem area, namely, carefully cut out the rusted metal.

If painting after welding is not expected, then the appropriate color of the patch should be selected in advance, which, together with the threshold after repair, should be carefully sanded and treated with an anti-corrosion compound.

If you have a certain skill and the necessary tool (semi-automatic or gas welding), everyone can repair the thresholds and the bottom with their own hands. In addition to tools and materials, you only need a little free time and desire.

Car sills are the first part of our vehicle that is exposed to the negative effects of the environment.

A high level of humidity in the autumn-winter period, combined with constant temperature drops, can have a very negative effect on the paintwork of the car body, and its bottom will sooner or later begin to undergo corrosive processes. And first of all, it is the car thresholds that always suffer.

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In addition to the appearance of rust, the car sills are constantly exposed to torsional and bending moments, vibration loads. Often, unpleasant dents appear on them (mainly due to improper use of the jack). Nevertheless, it is not so difficult to cope with the task of car repair in this case. It is enough just to carry out the extraction and straightening of the thresholds. True, sometimes it will be necessary to replace the repaired inserts, cut out damaged areas. This is what will extend the life of the car as a whole.

It should be noted that car sills can be non-removable, or vice versa - removable. Non-removable are usually called such thresholds, which are combined by welding with the bottom of the car into a single whole. Removable sills are placed directly in the passenger compartment and are attached with special screws to the base of the body. It is these parts that provide the car with reliable protection against emission that can fall on the body from under the wheels and damage it.

Car door sill repair tools:

- workbench or base plate;
- tools for straightening;
- a grinder and a welding machine or a pneumatic chipper.

Of course, if there is a need to repair removable car sills, it is much easier to carry out it. These sills are fixed with self-tapping screws at the base of the body. It is not difficult to straighten the deformed surface in this case: it is enough to unscrew the threshold itself and straighten and straighten it on a workbench. If, in the event of damage, large corrosive holes have formed on the removable car sill, then it will be much easier for you to simply change the threshold to a new one.Before fastening on the reverse side, it must be coated with a compound that protects the surface from corrosion.

Fixed car thresholds are not always difficult to repair - it will depend only on how damaged the threshold itself is. If there are small damages or folds on the surface of the threshold, it is enough to straighten it in place from the outside using a special hood. Extraction is carried out using a spotter and an inertial puller. Image - Do-it-yourself threshold repair

If you find damage of moderate severity, the repair area will have to be dismantled. For this, the doors are removed from the car, and the seats are also removed.

There are several ways you can repair your car. The first is to cut a square-shaped window from the side of the threshold. Then you can repair the site using a hood, hydraulic tools and anvils. Anvils are needed to support the sill sheet while straightening the bent sections. They may vary in size and shape. The areas with the help of tools can be restored in different places (usually the nature of the damage is classic). If the shape of the threshold has been completely restored, then the window through which the straightening was carried out can be welded.

You can also cut the top of the vehicle sill and sever the places where it was previously welded. To carry out the restoration work, an anvil is drawn through the hole that has been prepared. When the straightening of the thresholds is completed, the hole is welded again.

Regardless of whether you have a new car or not, sooner or later you have to deal with threshold breakdowns. This problem is caused by the poor quality of roads, a large number of holes, or just a love of extreme driving. It is quite possible to repair thresholds on a car with your own hands: what is needed for this - we will find out further.Thresholds on a car play several roles at once:

Protect car from mechanical damage, scratches, deformations, etc.

Help passengers when exiting and entering the salon.

Protects body sills.

They are a stylish addition to the car, making it visually more attractive.

Repair of thresholds on a car must be carried out in accordance with the design. It can be different: plastic, metal, chrome, with or without backlighting. Thresholds may or may not be removable, which must also be taken into account during repair work.For non-removable elements, a special repair technology will be required. Such sills are securely welded to the surface of the car, so you will have to work carefully so as not to damage the surface of the car.

In the harsh Russian climate, our cars are constantly exposed to various unfavorable influences, as a result of which a number of troubles arise. One of these is metal corrosion. The first to suffer, as a rule, are the "lower" parts of the body: the bottom, fenders, sills, door arches. In this article I will talk about method of repairing a "rotten" car threshold with your own hands.

Replacing the threshold is not an easy job for a craftsman and not a cheap pleasure for a car enthusiast. Some I had to hear from my clients "Can you somehow do without a replacement?", And there really is a way out, repair of the threshold with fiberglass.

The lower part of the threshold has large metal corrosion centers. It is not possible to repair using welding and patches, we will glue it from fiberglass.

Using a metal drill bit, we clean the area of corrosion and an area of 5-10 cm. Around.

Removal of corrosion.

At this stage, it is necessary to process the corrosion center, this is necessary for better adhesion of materials. We will use a well-known tool called "Rust converter"... It is quite easy to use, you just have to follow the instructions on the product.

We fill in the missing cavities ("matrix", "blank").

To fill the void, you can use various means such as: plasticine, cardboard, polystyrene, wood, etc. In this case, the most optimal and convenient to use is polyurethane foam. Under its weight, the foam tends to "fall off", so you need to prepare in advance for this unpleasant moment. To do this, you need to prepare a stand, all the various tools at hand will do. In my case, it is a wooden board. To facilitate further work, I advise you to cover the stand, for example, with newspapers or film, since it will be quite difficult to separate the foam adhering to the tree.

Before starting to fill the cavities with foam, lightly dampen the surface with a regular garden sprayer. This is necessary for better adhesion to the metal.

We are waiting for the foam to dry.

Using a knife, we cut off the foam and create the most approximate shape of the threshold. For a more accurate removal of the plane, the foam can be leveled with a bar with P40-60 sandpaper.

Working with fiberglass requires some knowledge and a lot of patience. Before starting work with composite materials, it is necessary to protect the body from accidental ingress of resin drops. To do this, I advise you to cover the body with paper or film. The repair surface must be well cleaned and degreased. We dilute the polyester resin in the required amount. Polyester resin is diluted in a ratio of not more than 2% of the catalyst by volume of the resin. Using a brush, saturate the entire surface with resin, then apply glass mat with a density of 300gr / m2. For ease of use, it can be divided into two parts and we get the 150th. This is necessary so that the glass mat does not fall from its weight from the lower part of the threshold, therefore, the build-up of layers should be done gradually, after each layer has dried. Two layers of 300 glass mat will be enough. To insure against "sliding" of all this mass, make some kind of support under the lower part of the threshold. When the resin is dry, the resulting fiberglass must be prepared for the application of the putty. Grinding with coarse abrasive P40-60.